Television networks are engaging in a series of dirty tricks to win the ratings war. Source: The Courier-Mail

THESE are the dirty tricks commercial television networks use to keep you watching as they battle to win the ratings war.

TV bosses admit to running programs late, changing shows at the last minute and pitching similar shows against each other in an attempt to steal audience from their rivals - despite a barrage of complaints from viewers.

Channel 9's director of programming Andrew Backwell says multi-channels and an increasingly competitive market mean networks have to do all they can to get audience share.

"We are running a business, trying to get the biggest share of advertising revenue and we are all fighting to get the right return," he said.

"Everyone is trying to strategically look for an advantage to get as many people to watch your channel."

To do this, Nine has been running episodes of its ratings juggernaut The Voice over the advertised time so that viewers stay with the network and miss the start of competing programs on other channels.

Mr Backwell said he understood the frustration and the network did its best to inform viewers if shows would run late, but he said the delays made commercial sense.

When it comes to changing the programming at the 11th hour, like Nine recently did with Celebrity Apprentice, Mr Backwell again said it was about protecting the company's bottom line.

"We invest a lot of money in these shows so we have to put them in the slot that will get the best return," he said.

Seven refused to go into detail about their ratings tactics, only saying: "We have got better with our communication and advising viewers of changed times. With live and event television, it often runs over the allocated time."

Although the networks were trying to win audiences with their scheduling strategies, Mumbrella media and marketing expert Tim Burrowes said the moves could actually be driving viewers away.

"It's such a bitter battle for audiences between Seven and Nine at the moment and it's so incredibly close that if you can just hold on to 1 per cent of the audience that otherwise might have switched over, then that can make the difference between the network winning and losing the night," he said.

"They'll use all sorts of dirty tricks to win even if what you do is you scare off viewers in the long term."

Mr Burrowes said viewers were becoming increasingly annoyed by the strategies and were showing their frustration with their feet.

"Scheduled TV is becoming increasingly user-unfriendly and over time viewers just feel disrespected," he said.

"We're already seeing the growth of catch-up TV and we're only at the beginnings of that so I think as viewers get more choice they're going to exercise that choice."

THE GRUBBY TACTICS

• TOMORROW night Nine will premiere their latest series of The Block. Seven revealed earlier this year they have their own renovation reality series, House Rules. Nine leapt off the block announcing the airdate of The Block, catching Seven napping. The programs will now go head-to-head for the first time on Tuesday. Will viewers stick or switch?

• The grand final of My Kitchen Rules ran 14 minutes late to keep viewers locked to Seven for the premiere of their new drama A Place To Call Home.

• On the same night The Voice ran late to prevent viewers switching over to Seven for the My Kitchen Rules winner announcement.

• Ten tried to program The Renovators against The Block in 2011. The Block won that battle.

• Every episode of The Block All Stars slipped outside the regular one-hour time frame, keeping viewers from MasterChef: Professionals.

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